Julian Alvarez’s penalty earned Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in a tense Champions League semi-final first leg match on Wednesday.
Viktor Gyokeres put the Premier League leaders ahead from the penalty spot just before halftime after being fouled, but Alvarez responded 10 minutes later after Ben White’s handball.
Arsenal were angry as a late penalty decision was reversed due to a VAR review after David Hancko made contact with Eberechi Eze in the area.
Atletico had the upper hand for lengthy stretches, but Arsenal’s superb defending put the Spanish capital in a fantastic position to return to the Champions League final 20 years after their last participation.
“We were the team we have to be; if we play at this level, we can win,” said Atletico captain Koke of his team’s second-half display on Movistar.
“From my point of view, they didn’t create much danger against us… the team defended well, and they just had that penalty.”
Minutes before kickoff, toilet paper showered down from the stands of the Metropolitano stadium in a spectacular — if wasteful — display that elicited cynical quips from certain quarters about the quality of the next spectacle.
In a showdown between perhaps the continent’s two biggest teams who had never laid a finger on the trophy, neither wanted to flinch first.
Atletico has an antiquated defensive reputation, but they held Mikel Arteta’s frugal Arsenal back in the early moments, with David Raya turning Alvarez’s shot around the post.
The Gunners, far from Arteta’s pre-game demand to control proceedings, attempted to smash and grab, with Marc Pubill denying Martin Odegaard on a rapid breakaway.
Noni Madueke, who started on Arsenal’s right wing with Bukayo Saka on the bench, smashed a long-range shot just wide as last year’s beaten semi-finalists emerged from their half.
Gyokeres won a penalty the next time they did this. The Swedish striker, who may not have started if Kai Havertz was fit, swapped passes with Martin Zubimendi until Hancko awkwardly shoved him in the back from behind.
Diego Simeone and Atletico veteran Antoine Griezmann both asked for the judgment to be reviewed, but VAR saw no need to intervene.
Gyokeres took the spot-kick himself, walloping it past Jan Oblak, who dived the correct way but had no chance of stopping it.
Atletico, the three-time runner-up, returned to the semifinals for the first time in nine years and came out firing in the second half.
Raya saved Ademola Lookman’s drive, while Gabriel blocked Griezmann’s follow-up.
The hosts equalized from the penalty spot after White handled Marcos Llorente’s shot, causing the ball to bounce up and strike his arm, which was away from his body.
Alvarez took it, and after missing in Atletico’s Copa del Rey final shootout defeat earlier in April, he made no mistake this time, with an unforgiving blast that rivaled Gyokeres’ first-half attempt.
Griezmann, who is headed to the MLS, hooked a shot off the crossbar and then fired the rebound off target as Atletico turned the screw in search of a lead heading into the second leg next Tuesday night.
Nigerian international Lookman came close twice and may come to regret his squandered opportunities.
Arsenal felt they had won a second penalty when replacement Eze was brought down by a clumsy Hancko challenge, but the referee reversed his decision after a VAR review, determining the Slovakian defender’s touch was slight.
Arsenal will next face Fulham as they battle Manchester City for the Premier League crown, while Simeone will rotate significantly in La Liga before this match in London.
